PROJECTS SUPPORTED IN 2022:

Tiger Habitat project India

Provided 280 families with energy efficient cookstoves which has not only improved their health and wellbeing due to significantly less smoke inhalation during cooking, but also far less woodland is removed in the roaming areas of the endangered Bengal tiger.

Sal & Mahua Schools Project India

Delivered a second phase of this project to renovate two schools in Bandhavgarh, India, to significantly improve educational facilities for the 827 children who attend. The refurbishments included a new roof as well as a clean water pump, kitchen, toilet blocks, playground and library.

Community Kickstart Project Global

Disbursement of 3 Community Kickstart grants for implementation of community initiatives by our local supplier network. These were largely to help support communities due to the impact of the pandemic and included education catch up lessons for 102 children in Zambia, food parcels for 44 trek staff and their families in Morocco and hot meals for 150 children at the Solitaire School food clinic in Namibia.

Himalayan Community Project India & Nepal

Support for a number of small, community-based initiatives across several villages in the Nepalese and Indian Himalaya, including 500 trees planted in remote Ladakh region, building of the Ranibirpura Temple and giving educational opportunities to 28 children and young adults. The post pandemic re-opening has also allowed for us to continue funding three women’s ecocafes and the 44 women employed in them as well as felting workshops for 35 women in small communities.

Free to Roam Project Kenya

233 people in households in the Kamungi conservancy benefitted from the fence construction, which increased employment and food security. The “10% Fence Plans” on farmsteads empower and enable WeKamba communities to give 90% of land back to elephants, impalas, Dik Diks and other wildlife, while increasing food security through permaculture on the remaining 10%. Our funding allowed a further 18 people to receive permaculture training for self-sustaining farming.

Freedom Kit Bags Project Nepal

Delivery of 450 Freedom Kit Bags (hygienic, re-usable sanitary wear) by Exodus Tour Leaders, to women across rural Nepalese villages, along with stigma-reducing community training on reproductive health. Our colleague organised an internal fundraiser to raise the money for 60 of the kit bags and then hand-delivered them in his hometown in Nepal.

Kilimanjaro Porter Project Tanzania

Delivery of mountain guide training to 13 women through our ‘Mountain Lioness Scholarship’. We are now twothirds of our way towards our goal of 30 trained female mountain guides. This year, two of our female colleagues climbed Kilimanjaro guided by our Lionesses, in support of the Mountain Lioness Scholarship.

Within this wider project, we have also been supporting the delivery of “Village Savings and Loans” workshops that empower participants to better manage money and generate alternative streams of income. In 2022, 78 mountain crew participated, and we funded certification of 17 community-based trainers to deliver future sessions. These community led, micro-savings classes help the local mountain crew to overcome social and financial barriers in order to increase economic opportunities.

Read more about all of these projects: EXODUSTRAVELS.COM/FOUNDATION

Sam heads up the Adventure business (Exodus, Headwater and Sawadee) and is Chief Sustainability Officer for the wider Travelopia group. Sam has a passion for delivering expertly crafted adventures that benefit both travellers and local communities.